Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Other Irrational Fears!

Updated on October 20, 2011
S.L. asks from Moab, UT
20 answers

I AM! I am terrified of things that go bump in the night, still worry about things that may be under my bed after I turn out the light, and like to have a nightlight on when I get up for late night feedings.

I have been afraid of the dark since I was a little kid and still am. I don't know if there was anything specific that happened to me, but it still drives me crazy that I am so irrational.

Last night I went out to our carport to throw some trash out. While we live in an ultra safe neighborhood and city, I was so paranoid about what would be in the carport that I practically tripped over my own shoes trying to run back in side! It wasn't just a person that I thought would be in there- skunks, snakes, other little critters!

I have a couple irrational fears that my husband just rolls his eyes at. Of course he isn't scared of anything :) I freak at the very thought of a snake and have passed out in the sight of a real one AND hair and wet paper touching my feet (locker room or water theme park) will make my throw up! Crazy right?

So just wondering- are you afraid of the dark or do you have any other irrational fears that are- well- irrational?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

E.M.

answers from St. Joseph on

I am scared of bridges. I know it rarely happens, but bridges do break, they do collapse. I am mostly scared of falling I guess. I used to have panic attacks on bridges and if I get stuck on one I will still start to panic. If it is a bridge that I have to go on all the time then I am okay. Like, to get downtown to the Childrens Hospital we have to go over the bridge over the river. I am used to that bridge so I am okay with it now.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I have no problem with the dark but thousand-leggers FREAK me out and I'm really scared of what's (not) going on in Washington!

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.J.

answers from Seattle on

Being afraid of the dark is not an irrational fear... the Vashta Nerada are out there! ;)

((Dr.Who reference for all the non geeks out there))

Seriously, though, I was attacked in the dark far too often to come home to, or wake up in, a dark house. I leave lights on all the time. In fact, before leaving the house and going to bed I turn lights ON, instead of turning them off.

Spiders (another fear of mine) aren't an irrational fear, either. Everywhere I've lived (but here) spiders are deadly.

Fear, imho, is a nice and healthy warning that should be paid attention to. Not lived in, but paid attention to.

People often call me fearless. They're dead wrong. I'm afraid of nearly everything. I just happen to be very, very brave.

3 moms found this helpful

J.S.

answers from Hartford on

It's not so irrational to fear the dark. There ARE things in the dark that can hurt you if you go outside. Our vision isn't made for night time. We have no natural defenses like claws, razor sharp teeth, poison saliva, or stink-bomb tails. It's a primal survival instinct to be wary of the dark and even fear it. It's healthy.

If I'm in pitch black when in the house I have problems with balance and ocular disturbances. I end up with vertigo and migraines. I have to have a night light.

2 moms found this helpful

K.J.

answers from New Orleans on

I use to be afraid of anything that pops. I was shot accidently by a be be gun by my brother's friend. After that anything that pops(balloon,fireworks etc) I would freak out. Took some years but I'm pretty much over it!!!

Now things that freak me out now would be laughing gas,and if I had put down to sleep for a surgery.

I had laughing gas when I was a teen. The first time I was freaking out b/c I don't like stuff on face,plus I didn't like the affect from it. After that I always tell them to stick a needle in my mouth and numb me.lol. I never had to be under and don't want too. I think after watching that movie(forgot the name) where that guy had to open heart surgerey or whatever and how they put him to sleep but how he still felt EVERYTHING that was going on but he couldn't talk,move or whatever.PLus I afraid I will never wake up.lol.

2 moms found this helpful

A.G.

answers from Houston on

Im scared of driving, especially on the freeway. Given the statistics i wonder why everyone isnt.

Im also freaked out by getting fat, ever since silence of the lambs ive had dreams that whats-his-face is going to starve me and wear my lotioned skin. I also have reoccurring dreams that dead cats live on top of my furniture, every time i have to dust up there i get chills from the memories.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Fresno on

oh how funny these answers are....I'm so not afraid of the dark lol! I can walk through the whole house from my bedroom to the garage on the other side of the house in the dark. Now my husband on the other hand is such a scardy cat. He can't walk to the kitchen without turning on the hallway light. It's so ridiculously funny! Now although I'm not scared of the dark, I still don't like my feet hanging off the bed. I don't think the boogyman is gonna get me or anything but it's a weird feeling I get.

Now although I'm not afraid of the dark, I do have a thing that gets my tummy in a twist. I hate hate hate seeing animals in or near the street. I hate seeing dogs get hit by cares it freaks me out. I'm so traumatized and if I see a dog ahead in the road I will break slowly and stop. Once I was driving out of my street and got to the big street to turn and seen a dog and I backed up and went the other way. The dog was in the traffic so it's like at this point there isn't anything you could do. I can see a dead animal in the street and that doesn't gross me out but the thought of the car banging into the animal and me witnessing it just does not sit well with me. I know I'm so weird.........good ?!!!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.C.

answers from Houston on

I'm not too much afraid of anything. But soon after my daughter had my grandson...her husband was out to sea, she called me in the middle of the night to come over and remove the rocking chair from the babys room. And did I go?? Of course I did..she never liked that movie Amityville Horror anyway. LOL

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.F.

answers from Houston on

I am terrified of the dark! I hate being alone at night I can't even go to sleep until I am so tired I pass out. I am scared of the imaginary and of someone coming in and murdering me. We live in a nice area too. I am also scared of going near any lake or pond cause there could be a huge alligator right there and you would never see it.

1 mom found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I still run and jump in my bed when I turn off the lights.

My biggest irrational fear is papercuts in odd places, like on my eyeball or something. Oh my gosh, I am right with your with the hair thing... so disgusting.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.F.

answers from Utica on

I wouldnt say that I am afraid of the dark but I see where ppls fears of it come from. Usually when its dark its also quiet so you hear all the noises that are muffled in the day. You also cant see LOL, so your mind automatically plays tricks on you. I dont like watching scary movies because they mess with my head - I feel I am still very much a kid when it comes to horror movies. I will have bad dreams for a week (at least) and if its something that could happen in real life I dwell on that and fear that it could happen to me or my family. I also and literally deathly afraid of spiders. This fear is so bad that I have actually said that I would consider seeing someone to hypnotise this fear out of me but then I fear they will make me hold one LOL

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.G.

answers from New York on

I'm not afraid of the dark. I'm pretty germ-phobic (manageable) and very phobic of someone bringing bugs of any kind into my house via their clothes/bags/etc. I never put my coat with anyone others (as in I wouldn't put my coat on the pile on someone's bed at a party). I'm not afraid of being in my house alone or sleeping in my house alone (hardly ever happens anyway).

Ready? I'm terrified of dolphins. I can go see a show at say six flags but if I get within 10 feet of the tank, I break out into a sweat and start shaking. Don't ask!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.N.

answers from New York on

oh yes, I am afraid to be alone at night. If hubs is out of town I don't sleep until i am in a coma :) I am afraid of the basement. I am afraid of spirits. I am afraid of intruders. I am afraid of zombies :(.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.S.

answers from Houston on

I am afraid of the dark! I have nightlights in every room.

I can't stand sleeping with my feet uncovered. Even if its 150 degrees here in Texas, I will still wear either socks or keep my feet covered up. I read a scary book in 7th grade where the dead children living in the house would touch the feet of each new owner to talk to them. CREEPY!!!! I have to make sure that will never happen to me. bwahahaha

1 mom found this helpful

H.V.

answers from Cleveland on

Hmm good question....
Animal wise, I'm not afraid of any of them hehe I love snakes, lizards and yes even spiders.
My b/f is scared of spiders...seriously.
haha
I'm not sure if I would say "scared" of the dark, but I am ultra aware when alone in the dark.
Comes from years of my dad trying to :"train" me and also from being attacked before.
If I'm alone, I'm always looking at exits, people everything around me.
Not in a crazy paranoid way hehe
It has just be ingrained in me so much to always pay attention.
So sometimes at night, when I;m alone I get a lil on edge.

1 mom found this helpful

J.B.

answers from Houston on

Yep, I'm afraid of the dark as well. As I walk thru the house I turn lights on to reach my destination, then turn them off walking back through. My wife is afraid of sharks, not like in the ocean, but she worries about them being in a swimming pool. We have a pool and at night if I block the pool light with my body she freaks out, I don't do it intentionally..... ;)

1 mom found this helpful

S.M.

answers from Lansing on

I always worry that something will happen to my girls. That is normal. But yeah, I am terrified of clowns, balloons, and our bed and box spring is on the floor because we would rahter not have the under the bed thing goign on! I am absolutely disgusted by public swimming pools, and am totally not able to touch the bottom when we are at a lake! hmm, what else, I think there are germs everywhere, and yes when I go outside at night, there is a little part of me that think zombies are going to come out of the woods!! haha

1 mom found this helpful

J.L.

answers from Lexington on

I guess a lot of my fears are with the dark when I'm alone.....if the hubby is on a business trip, I can't sleep without every light in the house on. We even have a security system and I'm still a baby. If I'm home by myself at night I have to keep the shower curtains open in fear that someone will be hiding back there and jump out when I'm vulnerable and sitting on the toilet. If I'm leaving the parking garage at work late at night I'm always afraid there is someone under the car waiting to cut my achilles tendon!!

Yea, I watched too many scary movies when I was younger =o )~ I cant even watch a commercial for a scary movie now! There was one on the other night and was sooooo creepy and it ended up being a commercial for a local haunted house....yea, don't even get me started on how bad the hubs made fun of me for that one!!! OMG and those commericals for the new show American Horror Story?! NO THANKS!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.J.

answers from Harrisburg on

I'm afraid of the dark when I'm alone. LOL If someone is with me it's not so bad, but I'll definitely be a little bit more afraid if were walking outside and it's dark. I remember walking with one of my best friends when I was like 16 in the dark, we were going over to another friends house and saw somebody/thing all dressed in black, with a giant hoodie on and something shiny in their hand. We ran off back to her house screaming LOL. I think my fear of the dark comes from all the scary movies I've watched. I can't be alone in the dark, even at home and I need to go downstairs for something all the lights are turned on. I'm afraid a Zombie is going to get me, hahah. Deep down I know they arn't real but they are still scary.

I also don't like spiders or flying bugs. I'm not super scared of them, just enough to scream or point out very loudly that their is a bug. haha

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.S.

answers from Omaha on

I cannot watch horror movies at all. They seriously plague me for years afterward, even though I know they're fake. I HATE being home alone at night and especially overnight. For years, if I'm home alone over night, I have to make sure every window's blinds are down or curtains closed. I'm so worried about looking out the window to see some strange face staring back at me. I can't stand watching teeth being pulled or knocked out, and when my daughter starts losing hers, my husband already knows it's his job to handle! I'm also afraid of the water - ha ha. I know it sounds childish, but I can't get my fear of drowning out of my head. I want to know how to swim, but I can't put the fear behind me, despite the fact that it's safer to know how to swim than to not know how. I sometimes feel crazy... ha ha ha

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions